


For The One I Love

by larislynn



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Firelord Zuko (Avatar), Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Light Angst, Reader-Insert, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:48:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25477930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/larislynn/pseuds/larislynn
Summary: When Zuko becomes stressed over his responsibilities as Firelord, you decide it's time for the two of you to go on a mini-vacation.Request: Hi there! can I request a Firelord Zuko x reader where he’s been stressing over everything and she decided to ‘kidnap’ him for a day, maybe they go in disguise and attend a festival that’s being held in the capital? Thank you!
Relationships: The Gaang (Avatar) & Reader, Zuko (Avatar)/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 75





	For The One I Love

Walking into the war room, you froze. The guards were stationed all around the room, and you had to fight your natural instinct to be on the defense around them. Zuko glanced up from the table to flash you a quick smile before returning his attention to his work. 

You sighed, it had been like this all week. He was so stressed about returning peace to the nations, and barely ever took a break. It was clear the pressure of being Firelord was getting to him, the dark circles under his eyes were clear enough proof of that. His advisors seemed to notice it too, although none dared to mention. The fear instilled by previous Firelords still infected most of the kingdom, which was another thing Zuko was trying to fix. 

He felt that it was a king’s duty to rule with empathy and compassion, not fear tactics. Adjusting his cabinet to that way of thinking was just another burden added to the pile. Some scoffed at the notion, wanting to return to the ways of wartime. 

Sitting next to him, you touched his hand gently. “Zuko, it’s late. You need to get some rest.”

Shaking his head, he kept reading, fighting to stay awake. “No, I have to finish this tonight.”

“Will the nation fall to pieces if you don’t?”

He looked up from the paperwork, “Well, no, but-”

You cut him off, “Then you can go to bed now.” Smirking, you took his hand, “Come on, Sifu Hotman. Let’s go to bed.” 

Rolling his eyes at the nickname, he smiled at you.”Fine, anything for the one I love. But I’m only doing this because you asked me to. Not because I’m tired.”

“Right, and the fact that you’re yawning right now really reinforces that statement,” you laughed. The plan was coming along quite nicely, you thought to yourself. All you had to do was lure him into the city the next morning. 

Once he was fast asleep in bed, you snuck over to the desk. Writing a note, you explained that you were going to the city on an important trip into town, and for him to head there in the morning, as you wanted his option on some things you were purchasing.

It wasn’t a lie exactly. You did want him there, just not for the reason you stated. Besides, you knew how much work he was doing, and this would be a much deserved reprieve. Once you finished explaining the ‘reason’ for the trip, you left instructions to meet you at the hotel in town in the morning. 

Silently, you placed the note on your pillow, hoping it wouldn’t get lost in the blankets. Reconsidering, you picked up the paper again and froze in the middle of the room. On one hand you could leave it on the desk and hope he noticed it, or leave it back on the pillow and pray it didn’t get lost. 

He rolled over and you panicked, placing the note back on the bed and scurrying out of the room. There was no point in him seeing you leave, then he might catch onto your plan. That was the one thing you simply couldn’t afford. 

Thankfully Toph had shown you how to find secret exits and entrances during your time travelling with the gang. It was that skill which allowed you to slip out of the palace without alerting even a single guard. 

Although you could leave whenever you wanted, they usually insisted that you take at least one bodyguard with you. There were still some dissidents left over from Ozai’s reign that wished to harm those affiliated with the royal family, which now included you. 

However, this was one trip where intervention couldn’t be allowed. The whole idea was for Zuko to be able to enjoy some time without worrying about national issues and focus on having some quality relaxation time with you. The presence of a single guard could hinder that. 

Zuko would be able to leave the palace on his own, since he was clearly able to defend himself in a fight. It always irked you a bit, you were able to defend yourself too. Sure, not with any traditional bending, but you had studied with the Kyoshi Warriors, who were now his personal guards. That had to account for something. 

Once you were off the royal grounds you let your guard drop a bit. The chances of an ambush were slim to none, and the night was so beautiful. It was a moonless night, but the stars danced brightly, making you smile. 

The air was thick with humidity, reminiscent of last night’s summer rain. It wasn’t long before you made your way to the hotel and purchased a room. Yawning, you ran up to your room, feeling exhaustion taking hold of you. Considering the amount of times you told Zuko to get some sleep, you could hardly ever take the advice yourself. 

Sinking into the soft mattress, you let yourself be lulled to sleep by the sounds of the city below floating up through your window. When you awoke again, the sun was high in the sky and you blinked quickly to adjust to the bright room. 

Not even a moment late a knock resounded at the door and you smiled. “Come in Zuko,” you answered. The door opened and he stepped inside, looking worried.

“Is everything alright? You left in the middle of the night and…” he trailed off, glancing at you.

“I’m fine, I just needed to get away from the palace, and so do you. There’s some things here in town I wanted to buy,” you looked down, deciding to rip off the bandage now, “and tonight is the Fire Festival. I thought we could go together, in disguise of course.”

Sighing, he rubbed his forehead, “We can’t just leave because we feel like it. You know that. There’s important things that need to be done.”

“You need rest, Zuko. I know there’s important work to attend to, but there always will be. If you keep working all the time, you’ll run yourself into the ground. Take a break, please.” 

He looked at you and nodded. “You’re right,” he smiled, “and besides, Uncle has been pressuring me to rest too. I suppose this is the perfect opportunity to get away and make you both happy. But please, next time just ask me instead of luring me into town.” 

You grinned, “You’ve got it, Sifu Hotman.” He rolled his eyes but pulled you into a hug. 

The rest of the day went without incident. By the time you did some shopping and enjoyed a nice lunch, night had fallen. You sat outside a small teashop watching some firebenders perform acrobatic routines when Zuko tapped your shoulder. 

“The fireworks show will be starting soon,” he whispered in your ear. “I know the perfect place to watch it from.”

“Lead the way,” you smiled. It was great to see him so free and happy, and his eyes lit up at every new sight. This was the Zuko you missed, the one you had fallen in love with. He led you towards a secluded corner of the city, where a fountain reflected the full moon. 

“We’ll get a great view from here,” he said with a shy smile. The fireworks started just as you sat down, and Zuko wrapped an arm around your shoulders, pulling you close to him. Lights lit up the sky with thundering booms and you grinned, leaning into Zuko’s embrace. 

“Thank you,” he whispered. 

“Of course,” you replied, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “Anything for the one I love.”

**Author's Note:**

> So is anyone else about to stream Folklore? Because I’m honestly really excited to listen to it. As always, kudos and comments are appreciated! Love you all! <3


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